Ever considered growing your sprouts at home? The process takes only a couple of minutes a day. The best part is that sprouting is inexpensive compared to buying sprouts in the grocery store. Moreover, sprouting doesn’t require a lot require a lot of space. Sprouts can grow in places like a free spot on the countertop, top of the refrigerator, or an empty cabinet.

What are Sprouts?

Sprouts are simply the initial growth of a seed. It’s more like those first little pops of green that you usually spot in your garden this Spring. So the thing is that when you keep seeds moist, they start to sprout and produce tiny little plants which turn into nourishing plant food.

For the most part, sprouts are excellent sources of several kinds of nutrients and vitamins the body needs. They are also low in calories. When a plant is in its sprout stage, it contains more living enzymes than it will ever have in future. In essence, when you eat sprouts, most especially homegrown sprouts, you’re eating the plant at its peak.

How To Grow Sprouts At Home?

First Things First

The best and most popular way to grow sprouts by yourself is to use a sprouting jar. While you can choose to use any jar you find around the house, it’s still better to go for a container that made for sprouting and has the wire mesh top. It is also recommended to use a glass container as opposed to plastic or metal. Using a glass sprouting jar like the Now Sprouting Jar gives you the opportunity to watch your sprouts and monitor the growth.

It’s also important to purchase seeds that are marked “sprouting” seeds and be sure to get them from a trusted source; this is crucial! Finding organic germinated seeds are best and Sensational Shakes carries a variety of options. You should also know that different seeds have different flavors once sprouted. For instance, fenugreek sprout will have a faint taste of maple syrup while radish will be super spicy.

For the most part, you can choose to grow a wide variety of seeds to eat as sprouts including pea, radish, chickpea, mung beans, fenugreek, alfalfa, lentil, sunflower, and broccoli. Each of them has its distinctive flavor. Moreover, you can use it to add extra nutrition as well as a super tasty flavor to your winter salads.

Alright, let’s start sprouting!

Here are the steps to growing sprouts:

  1. Soaked 2 TBSP of sprout seeds in 6 TBSP of water previous night. Rinsed and drained seeds.

    Soaked 2 TBSP of sprout seeds in 6 TBSP of water previous night. Rinsed and drained seeds.

    Soak The Sprout Seeds

Get some seeds and put them in the bottom of the sprouting jar. Now pour non-chlorinated water in the jar and leave to soak for about twelve hours. You can choose to add one type of seed or experiment with a mix of varieties. The seeds tend to expand a lot as they grow. For instance, 2 TBSP of dried seeds is usually enough to fill a jar. Growth varies from seed to seed. For example, radish is known to expand more than sunflowers.

Why should you soak the seeds for twelve hours? Well, doing this helps speed up the germination process. Moreover, the seeds will swell to double their initial size.

  1. Drain and Rinse

After the initial twelve hours, drain the water and rinse the seeds. It’s recommended to use water that’s not too hot or cold. Drain thoroughly. Then, place the jar so that it will lay upside down at a slight angle.

Note: Try to avoid rinsing the seeds in icy water as this can slow the sprouting process.

  1. Day 3. The sprouts are getting larger. Rinse twice a day, morning and evening and keep them in a dark location.

    Day 3. The sprouts are getting larger. Rinse twice a day, morning and evening and keep them in a dark location.

    Repeat the Rinsing and Draining Process

You should repeat the entire rinsing process at least twice each day. Your sprouts will grow a bit more each passing day until the fill your whole sprouting jar and start to turn green. This process only takes between two to six days depending on the species of seeds.

Note: Using Citric Acid with the rinse will help prevent bacteria from growing on the plants, especially during humid months.

  1. Store Your Sprouts

Are you satisfied with the length and greenness of your sprouts? If yes, then you’re set to store them in your refrigerator. Be sure that your sprouts are at the end of the drying cycle before storing them.

Note: Stored sprouts should be eaten as soon as possible so you can enjoy the freshness.

  1. Day 6. A jar full of sprouts ready to eat! Yum!

    Day 6. A jar full of sprouts ready to eat! Yum!

    Eat Them!

Now you and your family can enjoy your sprouts on a salad, sandwich, or solo.

And that’s it! I guess you now have a better idea of how you can grow your own in the comfort of your home. Just be sure to follow these simple steps, and you’ll be well on your way to healthier eating! Happy sprouting!